THIS YEAR: The emotional leader of the team, senior Elle Alexander is a 3-time and recorder-holding PacWest champion and a 2-time NCAA qualifier … Excels in the discus throw but is also quite adept in the hammer, shot, and the weight throw … Figures to press for NCAA qualification in the discus and the hammer … Has served 3 years as the team captain.
2020 (senior): Was enjoying a fine 2020 campaign before the outdoor season was interrupted by the COVID pandemic … Opened the season with personal records in the weight throw (57’ 0 ¼”) and hammer (174’ 11”), each being the seventh best throw in program history … In her only outdoor competition of the year, won the Beach Opener discus throw (171’ 0”) at Long Beach State, hitting provisional marks in both hammer and discus.
2019 (redshirt junior): Made her second NCAA Meet appearance, qualifying for the outdoor championships in the discus and advancing to the finals while finishing 12th with a throw 153’ 10” … Tallied 28 of the Cougars’ championship winning 204.5 points in the PacWest Meet by winning the discus (meet-record 161’ 6”) and hammer (172’ 1”) and finishing second in the shot (42’ 1½”) … Won the Triton Invitational discus at UC San Diego with a personal-record throw of 174’ 6”, the second best throw in Cougar history … Won both the discus (167’ 8”) and hammer (172’ 0”) at the Rossi Relays at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps … At one point, won 4 consecutive discus competitions, beginning with Rossi and finishing at the UC Riverside Spring Classic (168’ 6”).
2018 (junior): Appeared in three indoor meets, posting a best of 52’ 8¼“ in the weight throw before shutting down for the season and redshirting the outdoor campaign.
2017 (sophomore): Captured her first-ever PacWest title by winning the discus (148’8”) … Finished second in the hammer (157’ 8”) and in all tallied 18 points to help lead the Cougars to their second straight conference crown … Two weeks later recorded a personal-record 160’ 11” in the discus at the All On The Line Meet in Santa Barbara … Advanced to the finals of the NCAA DII Nationals in discus, finishing 13th with a throw of 151’ 7”.
2016 (freshman): Scored 14 points over 3 different events while helping the Cougars capture their first of 4 straight PacWest Conference championships … Finished second in the discus (145’ 1”), fifth in the hammer (132’ 1”) and seventh in the shot (36’ 1¼”) … Threw a season-best 144’ to finish 12th in the hammer at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.
HIGH SCHOOL: Lettered 4 years in track & field for head coach Ryan Stayley at Glenwood High in Chatham, Ill. … As a 2015 senior was the Illinois 2A state champion in the discus with a throw of 131’ 6” … A month earlier set her career best and school record with a heave of 143’ 7” … Was a 2-time Central 8 Conference champion in the discus … Also lettering in 4 seasons of basketball and volleyball for the Titans.
PERSONAL: Born Oct. 18, 1996, in Springfield, Ill. … Parents are Bill (retired principal) and Julie (teacher) Alexander … Has 3 brothers (Luke, Joel, Brandon) and a sister (Tessa) … Graduated in ’18 with a bachelor’s in communication with a minor in sports ministry … Is now pursuing a master’s in leadership development … Has served four years on Azusa Pacific’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
